Painting a Day: Using my brushes to make things happen

Last January, seven months ago, we were living in Charleston, we had a very comfortable life …then my husband’s position as an analyst with the air force was cut from the fiscal budget without one day’s notice or warning. Talk about scary! We have two small girls, a beautiful home in Charleston, …and no income. On one hand I felt helpless and afraid, on the other I was so excited to see what was next, and where we were going to make our new path.

We spent a couple months getting our footing. Pressing on. Applying for hundreds of jobs. The government contracting community was on lock-down due to the US budget cuts and my husband had to give up his dream career in intel. As a wife, that was hard to watch unfold. But, my man is a very strong and wise man (really. His IQ is ridiculous) so he refocused his vision (after much thought, research, studying, and prayer) and applied for a spot in a front-end software development course taught by the Iron Yard, in Greenville, SC. This is a total change in career/life paths for him and for our family.

The course was expensive, we had no income, our savings was, thankfully, sustaining us, but it was going to be tight. Very tight. We decided to make a leap of faith: packed up, moved to Greenville, searched for a house, found nothing (safe), my husband’s mother graciously allowed us to stay with her, and my husband started classes (and 16-18 hour work days).

Meanwhile, I have been working away, making, creating, selling, blogging, caring for our two girls, and trying not to go crazy while balancing our lives in such abnormal disarray. I’m going to be honest; these past seven months have not been easy for me. My security has been shaken and the control I felt I had over my existence has vanished. I have had to learn, yet again, to trust in God to provide for my children’s most basic needs. And He has been faithful every. single. day.

Good things have happened during this time as well: I was still able to grow my business, to go to NYC and Brooklyn, the Alt Summit, show at the Renegade Craft Fair, have a lovely studio at the White Whale, spend time with my little girls, and enjoy each day fully. God always gives us hope and joy, even when the days are hard. I know that for a fact.

And now, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel! My husband’s course is over. He completely loves his new career and feels as if there are no limits to what he can learn, do, and create. He is working as a freelance developer right now (building an amazing app we’re all going to flip over) and will become an instructor for the Iron Yard in the fall! God is good and hard work pays off!

But, I’m going to be quite honest with you. Things are looking bright, but we have an immediate need for a little extra $.

It’s time for us to move into our own home and regain some simplicity in our lives. Our girls are such troopers, and God has given us so much grace to go thought this hard time. But it’s time to find our new normal in our own home and, to do so, we need a short term burst in income.

…And that’s where my lil’ brushes come into play!

To encourage the house-hunting process along I’m going to do something I LOVE doing: I’m going to be painting an landscape or nature oil painting each day for the next couple weeks (minus a few days off for a long weekend trip we have planned). These paintings will be for sale the following morning for $100. They will be 16×20 or 12×24 inches and will make a pretty large impact on the decor in your space.

> > > < < <If you would like to commission a landscape or nature inspired painting email me:
emily at BeautifulHelloBlog.com

Check back tomorrow for painting #1 and please spread the word!

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Most days you can find me, in the studio with my little girls, speckled in oil paint (drinking too much coffee), creating artwork for collectors around the world and collaborating with select brands.
Check out my artwork on EmilyJeffords.com

These are beautiful paintings! We are in a similar situation here at home, we should be very grateful for having hard working husbands who have our wellbeing as a priority, and equally grateful to God for giving us creativity to serve as an emotional outlet and a job to help during these tough times… blessings, Alexandra